Senate Approves McNerney’s Bill to Ensure Human Oversight of AI Used in Critical Infrastructure

The California state Senate today overwhelmingly approved Sen. Jerry McNerney’s SB 833, landmark legislation that would ensure human oversight of artificial intelligence used in critical infrastructure. 

“California is a world leader in AI development. So it’s incumbent on our state to ensure that the use of artificial intelligence is safe and beneficial. SB 833 will create commonsense safeguards by putting a human in the loop — human oversight of AI — in California’s critical infrastructure,” said Sen. McNerney, D-Pleasanton.

SB 833 won approval in the Senate on a 36-0 vote, and is now headed to the state Assembly for consideration. If enacted, SB 833 would be the first such law in the nation.

SB 833 would ensure human oversight of AI used in critical infrastructure, such as transportation, energy, communications, emergency services, and financial services. SB 833 would require state agencies in charge of critical infrastructure to require human oversight of AI systems with the ability to monitor the AI in real time and review and approve any plan or action proposed by AI before implementation.

Sen. Jerry McNerney is chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and his 5th Senate District includes all of San Joaquin County and Alameda County’s Tri-Valley.